LAWN TENNIS

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20693, 31 December 1938, Page 20 (Supplement)

LAWN TENNIS

TILDEN’S MEMORIES PROFESSIONALS v. AMATEURS WHICH WOULD BE VICTORIOUS (By “ Cross Court.”) “All the old antagonism in the amateur associations towards professionalism has returned with redoubled power and vigour, as they already feel the loss of gate receipts in their largest championships,” states W. T. Tilden, former world’s amateur tennis champion, in his autobiography “Aces, Places and Faults.” “Only Wimbledon remains unscathed. The French championship, once a big moneymaker, is now playing at a loss. Practically every amateur event is now run at a loss. Many clubs have given up their amateur events; many more are contemplating doing so. These clubs soon found out they could make money out of professional matches. During our early tours many clubs cleared more money in one day from our professional match than they did out of all other tennis activities all the year.” Professionals in America. In professional matches in America it is usual for the players to divide 60 per cent of the gate, and for the club to take 40 per cent, says an exchange. From January to the end of April professionals tour the United States. Sometimes there are two teams under different management touring simultaneously. Each team plays in about 70 cities, and, except in the large key cities, it is seldom that two teams play in the same city on the same date. “ One-night stands are the rule,” states Tilden. “It is very seldom that we ever stay more than two days in one city. Most of the time it is a case of in and out the same day. When you are travelling by automobile as we do most of the time, you often have jumps ranging from 300 to 500 miles between the match one night and the one on the next.” The European schedule begins with the French professional championship in June, which is followed by the Dutch championship, the international championship at Southport (England), the German championship, and the world’s indoor professional championship at Wembley.

Tilden’s Experiences. “I have learned much from my professional tours, and am a much more experienced, resourceful, controlled player to-day than ever I was as an amateur,” writes Tilden. “I have learned that one can change court surfaces in a few games, not a few weeks, as we used to think as amateurs. A professional must be able and willing to play on any surface, and play well at any time. In one week during my 1936 tour, I played on canvas, wood, grass, clay, and concrete. As an amateur, I would have said: ‘No, thanks; it’s impossible.’”

Australian Players. In a chapter entitled “Tennis Nations,” Tilden refers to the styles of play adopted by the Australian players, McGrath and Bromwich. “I cannot see any future for the twohanded shots of McGrath and Bromwich among the general run of players, since the shots are fundamentally unsound,” he writes. “I admit the results these boys obtain, but think they would have had better results with an orthodox shot. I think they are great players, in spite of their freak shots, not because of them. I hope, for the sake of the game, that all young players are discouraged from copying these shots.” Earlier Career. In dealing with his early career as a player Tilden states: “My tennis hero, who until 1919 I had never seen, but always glorified, whose name spelled glamour to me all the years I was struggling up the ladder, was Norman Brookes, the great Australian champion. I met Brookes at Newport in 1919, and for once the idol lived up to my expectations. What charm, distinction, intelligence, and culture he had! On and off the court Norman Brookes was a great personality. Something of the same quality as George Arliss, the famous actor, is found in Brookes, a quiet, yet subtly biting irony, tempered always with humour. From a tennis angle Brookes was the keenest brain I have ever met. Limited by a rather imperfect stroke

equipment, handicapped by a body that did not possess great stamina, Brookes rose above his limitations by the brilliance of his mentality, the subtlety of his finesse, the gallantry of his courage. Every match * against Brookes was an invaluable lesson to a student of tennis.”